Acrimonious Lust
Humanity Someone help! Anybody! Please! Mother! Father! Help me! His cries had fallen on deaf ears. They dragged him away like cattle to slaughter. That was essentially his fate anyways. Dare had heard tales of the World Nobles and their terrible acts. Would he be used to fight? A human steed? Perhaps someone would use him as a sex slave. If he was lucky they'd just make him serve food. If he unlucky they'd feed him to some monster. Yet, despite knowing what the World Nobles had in store for him, his village gave him up. No questions asked. His cries fell on deaf ears then. His cries fall on deaf ears now. Dare sat in the cargo hold, sobbing, not just from his predicament, but from the excruciating pain he had felt just a moment ago. His back still burned from the Hoof of the Celestial Dragon they had branded onto him. Something fell. Dare's crying ceased for just a moment to check what it was. It was a fair distance away, so he got up to investigate. After only taking a few steps, the chain restraining him forced back onto his rare. His crying continued. He sobbed into his hands. This time it was a touch that roused him. He opened his teared up eyes, and before him was a white monkey. "Yuki?" The monkey began making several hand gestures. "It'll be alright." He moved his tail, revealing the golden key it was holding. He walked over to the lock for the chain restraining Dare and twisted it in the keyhole. And just like that, a massive weight was lifted off his shoulders. Dare embraced the monkey, crying much harder than before. He was no longer crying from sadness. His friends had come to save him. "Is it just you?" "I brought a couple of others. They brought a raft to pick you up." "No." "No?" "They might want to come back for me. I say, we show a little bit more initiative." ---- Everyone looked peaceful in their sleep. Regardless of status, creed, race, gender, or morality, you'd never assume the atrocities someone could commit while they were asleep. The World Nobles were no different. Dare looked at the knife he had stolen from the ship's armory. It was so easy to sneak around. No one expected a thing. He held the knife in a reverse grip, and plunged it into the "Saint's" chest. At that, his eyes shot open with pain, even more glassy-eyed due to the fish bowl he wore on his head. As his lungs filled up with blood he spat out the fluid, filling his fishbowl with the color red. As he looked into the pained look in the World Noble's eyes, Dare couldn't help smile. As the light left his eyes, he heard the chaos occurring on the rest of the ship. Even when hidden behind this fishbowl, the animals could still smell blood. A Mutual Hatred Times may have passed, but things had changed little. She remained the only one of on the island, thanks in large part to her , more importantly, her friends. Jac had been called a witch by her kind, a demon by others, but it mattered not: she had the last laugh after all. Still, it was quiet. She had taken to walking among the lush forest which dominated the island space, talking with its animal inhabitants. Some brought her news of new births, others of changing seasons; sometimes, she was called upon to resolve conflicts which had gotten out of hand. These she especially enjoyed; it gave her something meaningful to do. Not that playing with wolf pups wasn't fun; it just didn't mean anything. She knew beyond this island haven lie more greed, more exploitation, more disgusting behavior. Humans were terrible creatures; and left corruption wherever they went. Sure, a few seemed nice, but she rarely talked to them as one of the "keepers". There were days where she wondered if the only reason why they kept her around was because of her devil fruit. Jacquotte was snapped from her thoughts as a squirrel dropped down from the trees in front of her. It started chattering immediately, thoughts going a mile a minute as she read through them. "A boat??" she made out finally, rewarded with a mental image of the "boat" in question. Truth be told, it was big enough to be a ship. She didn't recognize it either. A red flag appeared in her mind. Grabbing her gun from its resting place, she nodded at the squirrel before climbing the tree alongside it. "Take me to the boat." With that, the two were off, jumping from limb to limb. As she got closer to the shoreline, she would be able to see it; a large dark brown ship with black and red sails. The black flag billowed in the wind, an image of an animal skull. Yet, despite its relatively large size, there was no crew aboard. Just one man, sitting on the deck, surrounded by animals. They were of all types and breeds. Carnivorous cats, small rodents, yet they all seemed to live in harmony. His eyes seemed to light up as Jac approached, and his lips curled into a devilish smile. "A human, on this island? Well, perhaps I'll need to cleanse this place as well." She continued navigating the trees, until the break approached, signaling the shoreline was near. Jacque slowed, creeping across the tree branches as the squirrel raced ahead. As she reached the final tree branch, she came to a complete stop, mulling over her options. From what the squirrel told her on the way, the ship was virtually devoid of crew, with a lone male seen in its grasp. It also mentioned a large piece of fabric (which she eventually realized was a sail) bearing an animal skull. The squirrel didn't say anything about a bird (the mental image confirming) so it wasn't a Sparrow. Her expression hardened as she cocked her gun. A human coming to destroy her slice of heaven? Not happening. Should she send out a greeting? Or just start firing? She could sense various island inhabitants crowding at the forest's edge, including the wolfpack. Watching and waiting. She then noticed the crowd surrounding the male as she peered out. Animals? That was odd. The woman jumped down from the tree branch, landing in the soft sand. As she did so, two wolves came to flank her on either side, before other animals followed; soon, she had a small congregation with her. "What are you doing here?" Jacquotte asked, her tone chilly. Her gun rested on her shoulder. "I could ask you the same thing, human," Dare responded, "I had heard that this island was uninhabited. Which normally means there are an abundance of animals. Yet a human lives here. I shouldn't be surprised. The who had told me would've done anything to prevent me from snapping his neck." He began walking towards Jacquotte, a malicious smile appearing on his face. She would be able to feel his malice, all of it directed towards her. But just as quickly as it was felt, it disappeared. A monkey stood by Dare's side, pulling on his sleeve. "What is it?" Her gaze hardened further as she felt his killing intent spike. Great. "This is my home. I was born here, raised here, and when old age comes for me, die here," she retorted before feeling the pressure disappear. Her gaze slid towards the monkey; it was the first time she had seen one in years. She softened a bit, as she remembered all of the animals on the ship. "Interesting company you keep." Dare's smile had disappeared, instead looking at Jacquotte with a melancholy stare. "Animals are better than people. Wouldn't you agree?" The question caught her off guard a bit, before she resettled. Something akin to appreciation crossed her face. "Speaking of from personal experience? Yes, yes they are. They have their own quibbles sure, but they aren't actively destroying the place they call home," Jac responded. The monkey that had stopped Dare's malice walked up to Jacquotte, pulling her sleeve as he did with the other pirate. "You can understand us, can't you?" he asked. She looked down, meeting the monkey's eyes. "Yes I can." she stated simply, warming a bit. The monkey ran back over to Dare's side, moving his hands in a strange manner. "Really?" Dare turned to the woman before him. "Then you have the ability I seek." He began walking closer to Jacquotte, yet his malice hadn't spiked. "Tell me what you think of humans." She noticed the strange hand gestures as the monkey returned to Dare's side. "What I think of humans? Well, I am one, unfortunate as it may be. I also drove away every other human inhabitant for the sake of peace and quiet," she commented, staring him down. Dare would catch a coded meaning in "drove away". "They were nuisances that needed to be dealt with." Dare's smile etched its way back onto his face upon hearing that. "I see. Although, I would've done something a little different in your situation." He clenched his fist as he shouted his next words with glee. "I would've slaughtered them all and fed them to my carnivorous friends!" He coughed into his hand, trying to regain his composure. The thought of killing humans always got him excited. "Perhaps this meeting was fated. You see, I've been looking for your particular Devil Fruit ability for quite some time now. I was expecting to have to kill the current user to get it for myself. It would make it easier to communicate with my crew, but we could avoid any further bloodshed if you simply joined me." Her lip quirked a bit, bemused now. She had seen her fair share of oddballs during her time with the Sparrows, but the individual in front of her.....he was unhinged. "Communication barriers are terrible when you need to relay orders to your crew," she hedged, before frowning slightly, "As appealing as that sounds, what's stopping you from doing that sometime later? I willingly join, then one day I don't wake up. I'm sure you get my concern; humans are backstabby types you know?" One of the wolves growled slightly, the animal flank around her tightening a bit. "Of course," Dare continued, "humans are simply the worst. I’m ashamed to be one! However, I could never harm a kindred spirit. Just ask the animals in my crew if I intend to harm you. They’ve been serving alongside me since I left the West Blue." So she did just that, posing a single question to them. "Is he trustworthy?" Jacquotte posed, sending the inquiry to each animal in his crew. While she waited for responses, she hummed a bit. "If you don't mind me asking, what started you on this human head-hunting quest?" Jac figured there was always a reason for hatred; she would know, having her own strong views. At that, Dare's face turned dark, his rage bubbling up from the worst memory of his life. "Have you ever heard of the World Nobles?" "I'd be lucky if I didn't...." she responded coolly, sensing the frothing anger within him. "They got ahold of you didn't they?" The chorus of voices from his animal crewmates confirmed this. "The amount of time I had to live under the scrutiny of the World Nobles was bad enough, but it's what happened before that truly made me see the evil of humanity. The people of my home island already treated me poorly, they beat me, taunted me, bullied me, the only friends I had were the animals. But when the Dragons arrived and asked for a slave, they didn't hesitate to turn me over to them. My own parents were happy to get rid of the burden." The animals began making their various calls, agreeing with him and voicing his trustworthiness. "And it wasn't humans that eventually saved me, no, it was animals! My friends had followed the Nobles' ship and broke me free. And as soon as I was free, I slaughtered them all." She couldn't help but be disturbed by some of the similarities to her own history. "I see....that's unacceptable. Did anyone ever tell you why they made you their personal punching bag?" Jac asked, expecting him to come up empty. She learned very rarely do people attempt to justify their cruelty. "So you killed World Nobles? I'm surprised you're still alive. Because you told me yours, I'll give you my own. Are you familiar with superstition?" "No," Dare bitterly answered her first question, "they had no justification for their cruelty. Although, by superstition do you mean religion? I've never been a big fan of that." Jac nodded; her guess was correct. "More folk superstition. My....people, if they can be called that, didn't really know what Devil Fruit were. So when I started talking to animals, they gave me a wide berth. Especially when I started defending the animals I defended from cruelty; one by one they secluded me until one day my parents asked me to come outside. My twin had already fled the island; she asked me to come with her, but I was a foolish enough to I stay. And I was nearly burned at the stake for my naiveté; my parents doing the honors of tying me up." If Dare looked closely he could scars outlining her feet and back, reminders of that day. "The wolves were the first to respond to my cries; other animals followed. They managed to get me off the stake and put out the fire before retreating back to the forest with an unconscious me. Of course, that wasn't the end of this..the village assembled a mob to burn down the forest and kill its inhabitants...that's when I remembered how to use this." The gun resting on her shoulder glints in the sunlight. "I used all the bullets I had, and when I ran out of those, I started using another skill they called witchcraft: Haki. Any humans who didn't make it to the boats were killed by me, or my companions. Even those who did....well, that's when Kenbunshoku is for," she finished, the smallest of smiles present. Dare's smile returned. "Then we are one and the same, you and I! We should work together, eradicate every last human. They should be made to pay for their crimes!" Jacquotte gave a small nod. "Let's not put the cart before the horse though; we haven't exchanged names yet," she commented before extending a hand. "Cormac G. Jacquotte, Jac for short. Yours?" "Oh right, of course. My name is Whisper O. Dare. Apologies, I tend to get ahead of myself." "Nice to meet you Dare; it's alright. I know it's rare to meet someone you're on the same page with," Jac said, her tone good-natured. Her smile widened, as she felt the animals around her relax a bit. She felt herself ease up as well, filled with warmth. "Just to make it official: yes, I will join your crew." "Excellent. Pack your things! And bring as many of your friends as you'd like! We're going to make some humans pay!" "Great." Just Desserts The island was burning. Well, the settlements were. She made it abundantly clear that any forest or natural habitat was not to be harmed. Where else would the animals live? They should've have to leave their home just because bad people were there. The groan of collapsing buildings could be heard as screams followed. Animals could be seen ducking in and out of structures, dragging out survivors. Villagers who ran her way met their end by virtue of a bullet. Jac reloaded, moving to a new vantage point as a wolf ran by her. "Hmm...so this is what it's like." Dare's eyes glowed, illuminated by the brilliant display. His devilish smile couldn’t be contained. "I must thank you Jac. This is a lot faster with you around. Isn't that right Yuki?" The white monkey by his side signed in agreement. "Round up the rest of the survivors. I want to try something." The animals turned to herding now, dragging the survivors they found to the center of the burning settlement. One by one the bedraggled group increased, some with eyes that were lifeless, others filled with anger. Jac simply appeared bored, jumping down from her high point. Listening to the chatter of the wild animals native to this island, she quickly deduced that the people here were no better than her own. "What do you have in mind for them?" she asked. "You'll see," Dare answered with his signature grin. A few chimps brought over a crate, dropping it next to Dare. He signed thank you before throwing the lid off. "About ten percent of you miserable humans will survive this ordeal!" Dare addressed the crowd. "At this point, it is no longer up to me!" He put his hand in the crate and pulled out a strange fruit. It was red and covered in circle patterns. A few of the crowd members shuddered in fear at the realization of what it was. "It is now up to these fruits! Those of you who awaken a new ability will be allowed to join my crew. Everyone else will perish!" The chimps began taking several of the fruits out of the crate, distributing amongst their fingered colleagues. They walked up to the survivors. A few attempted to flee, but were immediately herded back to the larger group. Those who attempted a stronger resistance were killed outright. It became clear that this was their best hope for survival. A few of the survivors bit into the fruits given to them willingly. Others needed to be forced, as if the longer it took them to eat the fruit, the longer they would survive. After a few moments, the effects of the fruits began to take effect. They began to take on animal features. Some grew animal heads in their stomach, others grew extra appendages, such as tails or extra limbs. A few had their body completely morphed by the fruit. The rest, their faces contorted into a horrid look of complete bliss. Those ones couldn't help but laugh. One survivor, they had been lucky enough to grow wings. Long and white, they attempted to use their new ability to flee. Dare simply smiled at the attempt. He put his hand on Jac's gun. "Just tell them to come down." As the winged one fled, Jac had her gun cocked and ready, her already refocusing as she prepared to fire. It would be a relatively easy shot; they weren't far enough away and the winds were favorable. "Hmm??" she questioned, before it clicked. She wasn't sure what they had been fed, but the animal features sprouting gave her suspicion enough. Jacquotte reached for her devil fruit power, before throwing it towards the winged fleer as a mental command. "COME BACK AND LAY DOWN." There was no room for discussion as the order rippled around the slowing half-human, half-beast. As she waited, the sniper thought of a question. "What exactly did you feed these people? I've never seen those transformations..never mind the crazy laughter. It's weird." As the winged human flew back to the ground, Dare's smile began to become much less insane. "It's a SMILE. An Artificial Devil Fruit. It only gives the users animal transformations, and it only has a ten percent chance of working, but with your ability to control animals, any SMILE user is under the same rules as your fruit." The laughter of the failed SMILEs permeated through the air. "Oh right... Them. When a SMILE fails it prevents the user from displaying any negative emotions. I'm certain they're all terrified right now." Dare began walked forward. He held out his hand in a clawed shape, it turning black from the strength of his Haki. "I'm merciful enough to put them out of their misery. And good enough captain to not force my subordinates to further sully their hands." In the blink of an eye, the failed SMILE eaters lay dead on the ground. Men, women, even children, each laid dead with a chunk of their flesh taken out of their body. Dare reappeared next to Jac, copious amounts of blood dripping from his hand. "Let's head back to the ship." "SMILE huh.....interesting. I didn't know those existed; then again, news didn't travel that much to where I lived," Jac responded, her expression contemplative. She noticed his blackened hand, now mimicking a claw shape. So he was a Haki user as well; her confidence increased further. While she had been ready to end them, it proved pointless as she watched the lifeless bodies drop to the ground "You're fast." She smirked. The woman nodded at her animal cohort, the group following her. A couple of animals stopped to "mark" the corpses, sullying them further. "Next stop: "civilization"." Category:Role-Plays Category:Finished Role-Plays